Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia, after Moscow. The city lies on the Neva River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is an important center of industry, education, science, and culture.

In the early 1700s the Russian tsar, or ruler, Peter the Great brought in architects and craftspeople from all over Europe to create an impressive capital city. Many of Saint Petersburg’s buildings from this time have been preserved. In 1990 the historic central district was designated a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

One of the most well-known sites in Saint Petersburg is the city’s oldest building, the Peter and Paul Fortress. The fortress, which is located on Zayachy Island, was built in 1703. Inside is the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, where almost all the Russian tsars, including Peter the Great, are buried. Across the Neva River from the fortress is the Winter Palace, which was home of the tsars from 1762 until 1917. The palace is now part of the State Hermitage Museum.

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is another famous landmark in Saint Petersburg. The cathedral was built over a period of more than 40 years, from 1818 to 1858. It is a gold-domed building with beautiful marble and mosaics inside. The Summer Garden is the oldest park in Saint Petersburg. In addition to many fountains, the park also contains the Summer Palace, built in about 1710. The most famous of the city’s grand boulevards is Nevsky Prospect. This street is lined with shops, historic buildings, palaces, and restaurants, and is brilliantly lit up at night.

In late June, it stays light outside almost all night in Saint Petersburg. This period, called “white nights,” occurs because the city is located in the far north, near the Arctic Circle. There are festivals in Saint Petersburg during this time to celebrate this phenomenon.

Saint Petersburg is one of the great cultural centers of Europe. In 1738 the first ballet school in Russia was opened in Saint Petersburg. Ballet continues to be an important cultural attraction in the city. It is performed at such places as the Kirov Theater of Opera and Ballet. Plays can be seen at the Academic Bolshoi Dramatic Theater. The world-famous Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the oldest symphony in Russia, also performs in the city.

Saint Petersburg is a major seaport and industrial center. Factories in the city make such products as machinery, metals, foods and drinks, and paper. Many people in the city work in services such as trade, education, and health care.

Russians started settling the area near what is now Saint Petersburg in the ad 700s or 800s. Sweden captured the area in the 1600s and built fortresses along the Neva River. At the beginning of the 1700s, Peter the Great took over these Swedish fortresses and controlled the area. In 1703 Peter laid the foundation stones for the Peter and Paul Fortress on Zayachy Island, and in 1712 the capital of Russia was moved from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. The city soon started to grow rapidly as much of Russia’s foreign trade passed through the city.

By the late 1800s Saint Petersburg had many factories, as well as many poor workers. In 1905 government troops shot people who were protesting poor working conditions. This event became known as Bloody Sunday. It led people to try to overthrow Russia’s government. In 1917 the city was a center of the revolution that forced the tsar from power.

The leader of that revolution was named Lenin. For much of the 1900s Saint Petersburg was called Leningrad in his honor.

In 1918 the Russian capital was moved to Moscow. Russia soon became part of a Communist country called the Soviet Union.

German soldiers surrounded Leningrad from 1941 until 1944, during World War II. More than half a million people in the city died from bombings, hunger, and disease. Leningrad was later rebuilt.

In the late 1980s, major changes in the city’s political life began when the government of the Soviet Union introduced reforms that encouraged democracy and openness. In 1991 the Soviet Union fell apart, and Russia became a separate country again. Leningrad’s name was changed back to Saint Petersburg.At the beginning of the 21st century, Saint Petersburg was restored in honor of the city’s 300th anniversary in 2003. Population (2014 estimate), 5,131,942.

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